Listing machine



Nov. 4, 1930. c. B. EDWARDS LISTING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Nov. 4. 1930. c. EDWARDS 1,780,295

LISTING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 f Z6 Z IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 4, 1930 CHARLES B. EDWARDS, OF MOUNT CLEMENS, MICHIGAN -LISTING MACHINE Application filed May 17,

This invention relates to listing machines and the object of the invention is to provide a machine for listing payments on installment accounts in which a copy is made on the 6 companys ledger sheet, a second copy is made on the customers pass slip and a third copy is made on a record strip within the machine which gives a complete record of every transaction. v

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described in which the ledger sheet and the customers pass slip may be introduced into the machine and a movable carriage is provided to form a support for the ledger sheet and pass slip and carries the movable record strip on which a copy of each transaction is recorded.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine in which carbon strips are carried, the ledger sheet and customers pass slip being insertible between the carbon strips and the carriage, carrying the paper roll and strip, being movable to compress the several record sheets and carbon sheets together so that a copy of the writing on the ledger sheet is legibly carried through to the customers pass slip and the record strip.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine in which the record strip is automatically indexed or advanced after each entry to provide a blank space on which the record of a succeeding entry may be written. These objects and the several novel teatures of the inventionare hereinafter more fully described and claimed and the preferred form of construction by whichthese objects are attained is shown in the accompanying drawings in which 7 Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying my invention. a

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Fig. i

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2. p I Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line H of Fig. 1. r

Fig. 5 is a detail showing the indexing ratchet.

The device as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 comprises abase 1.on which a casing 2 is mounted.

1929. Serial No. 363,844.

Hinged to the casing 2 at the top on the hinges 3 is a cover member 4 having a rectangular aperture 5 therein. lVithin the outer casing a rectangular carriage 6 is provided as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. This carriage 6 is pro vided with extending ends 7 mounted on springs 8 on the guide rods 9. Four of these guide rods are provided as shown in Fig. 3 and the carriage is movable up and down on these guide rods. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 two paper rolls 9 and 10 are rotatably mounted in the carriage 6 and the paper strip 11 connecting these rolls is carried over rollers 12 provided in the carriage and extendsacross the metal writing bedlS which connected the sides of the carriage 6.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the paper roll 9 is provided with a shaft 14 which extends through a slot 15 in thecasing 2 and is provided with a knob 16 on the end thereof. The paper roll 10 is provided with a shaft 17 extending through a slot 18 in the casing 2 and is provided with a knurled knob 19 on the end thereof. A gear 20 is secured to the shaft 17 and is adapted to be moved into mesh with a toothed rack 21supp0rted'in brackets 22 beneath the gear 20. This rack 21 carries a pointer 23 shown in Fig. 4 which is movable along the indications 24 on the cover of the machine aswill be understood from Fig. 1. These indications are provided at the edge of the opening 5 in the cover member and are spaced to align with the'lines on a ledger sheet when positioned beneath said opening.

This machine is for use particularly in a store selling merchandise on installment payments where it is necessary to enter each payment on a ledger sheet and on the customers pass slip and the primary object of the in vention is to provide a paper roll on which a third copy of each entry is made by means of carbon sheets so that .the entire receipts for the day may bereadily checked up.

On the different ledger sheets, of course, the entries for different customers will be on diilerentlines of thesheet and this invention provides a means for moving the paperroll to bring a blank space opposite the pointer 23 and then by manually turning the roll the blank space indicated by'the pointer may be 109 brought to position beneath any of the lines of the ledger sheet on which the next entry is to be made. For this reason it is necessary to engage the gear with the pointer rack 21 after the paper strip has been moved to bring the next blank space opposite the pointer 23, so that the knobs 19 or 16 may be turned to move the paper strip and the pointer to the desired position for the succeeding entry. The mechanism for engaging the gear 20 with the pointer rack comprises a cam shaft 25 rotatably mounted in the casing 2 and rotatable by a lever 26 which turns the earns 27 to the raised or lowered position. .These cams, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and l, engage between lugs 28 provided on opposite sides of the carriage. As shown in Fig. 2 two rolls of carbon paper 29 and 30 are mounted in the casing 2 and the strips 31 and 32 from these rolls are carried through the channel members 33 and 3a which are arranged in pairs for the oppo site edges of the strip and are supported on brackets 35 mounted on the sides 2 of the machine casin g.

The channel 33 is spaced from the cover l sufficiently to allow a ledger sheet to be inserted therebetween and positioned on the carbon strip 31 while the channel 3 1 is spaced from the channel 33 sufficiently to allow a customers pass slip to be inserted therebetween onto the carbon strip 32. This ledger sheet and customers pass slip are inserted through a slot 38 provided in the top of the casing 2 at the left of Fig. 4. As will be noted from Fig. 3 a ratchet 39 is secured to the shaft 17 adjacent the gear 20 and a spring dog 40 engages the teeth of this ratchet as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. When in the position shown in Fig. 4 the lever 26 may be given a half turn to move the cams 27 to the lowest position. This moves the carriage 6 downwardly against the springs 8 and at the same time the ratchet 39 which is in engagement with the stationary dog 40 is carried downwardly with thecarriage thus turning the ratchet 39 and shaft 17 to wind up the strip 11 on the roll 10. This turning movement of the ratchet 39 is equal in depth to one tooth of the ratchet thus advancing the paper strip sufficiently to bring theadja-cent blank portion thereof to position opposite the pointer 23. As the carriage moves to its lowermost position the gear 20 meshes with the pointer rack 21 so that at this time the knobs 16 or 19 may be turned to move the strip 11 and the pointer will travel therewith to indicate the blankspace on the strip.

At this time the ledger sheet and the customers pass slip are inserted to position as hereinbefore described and it is then necessary to bring the blank space on the paper strip 11, which at this time is in alignment with the pointer 23, to positionbeneath the line of theledger sheet to be written on., This is accomplished by rolling the'paper strip for- 20 at this time that the pointer 23 will travel with the blank space on the paper strip 11 and by turning these knobs 19 or 16 this pointer may be brought to registration with any of the indications 24: on the cover of the machine which align with the lines on the ledger sheet. When the knob 16, shown in Fig. 3, is turned to roll the strip onto the roll 9 this movement of the strip turns the roll 10 thus turning the gear 20 and moving the rack 21 and'pointer 23 backward with the paper strip as well as forward therewith when the knurled knob 19 is turned. When the pointer has been correctly positioned to bring the blank space on the paper strip 11 beneath the desired line on the ledger sheet the lever 26 is turned to raise the carriage and bindingly engage the several sheets between the top of the carriage 6 and the cover member 4.

At this time any writing on the ledger move the cams 27 downwardl 1 thus turning the roll 10 to bring the next adjacent blank portion of the strip 11 to alignment with the pointer 23 before the gear 20 moves into mesh with the pointer rack 21. At this time the ledger sheet and customers pass slip may be removed from the machine and the machine is ready for the next operation By supporting the carriage on the four guide rods 8 and on the four springs 9 the carriage will move uniformly up and down on these guide rods under action by the cams 27 without binding.

From the foregoing description it becomes evident that the device is very simple and efiicient inoperation, will not easily get out of order and provides a device which accomplishes the objects described.

Having thus fully described my invention, its utility and mode of operation, what I" claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a listing machine, a casing having an openingin the top, a carriage having a writing bed registering with said openin the carriage being movable vertically in the easing, a pair of shafts for supporting a paper strip rotatably mounted in the carriage and extending through the casing wall, a knob secured to the extending end of each shaft, the paper strip belng wound on the shafts and extending across thesaid writing bed,

a gear secured to the forward shaft, 'aratchet secured'to said forward shaft, a'rack movable longitudinally of the casing and adapted to beengaged by -said gear'when the carriage is lowered, a pointer carried by the said rack and movable longitudinally of the opening in the casing top, a spring dog mounted on the casing and engaging the ratchet, a cam shaft rotatably mounted in the casing, a pair of cams on the shaft, lugs on the carriage engaged by the said cams whereby rotation of the cam shaft in one direction lowers the carriage and rotation of the cam shaft in the opposite direction raises the carriage.

2. In a listing machine, a casing having an opening in the top, a carriage movable vertically in the casing beneath the opening, a pair of rolls for supporting a paper strip rotatably mounted in the carriage, each roll shaft being provided with a knob exteriorly of the casing, the carriage being provided with a writing bed at the top, the paper strip being wound on the rolls and extending across the writing bed, the said knobs providing a means for winding the paper strip forward or backward, a gear on one of the roll shafts, a rack movable longitudinally of the casing and adapted to mesh with said gear, a pointer carried by the said rack and movable longitudinally of the opening in the casing top, a ratchet secured to the forward roll shaft, a spring dog engaging the ratchet and stationarily mounted in the casing, and means for raising and lowering the carriage in the casing, the lowering of the carriage moving the ratchet downwardly in relation to the dog to advance the paper strip and moving said gear into engagement with said rack.

3. In a listing machine, a casing having an opening in the top, a carriage movable vertically in the casing beneath the opening, a pair of rolls for supporting a paper strip rotatably mounted in the carriage, a writing bed on the carriage, the paper strip being wound on the rolls and extending across the writing bed, indicating means movable with the paper strip by rotation of the rolls, means for raising and lowering the carriage, means for disassociating the paper strip and the indicating means as the carriage is raised and means for automatically moving the paper strip while disassociated from the indicating means.

4:. In a listing machine, a casing, a carriage movable vertically in the casing, means for raising and lowering the carriage in the easing, a pair of rolls for supporting a paper strip rotatably mounted in the carriage, the paper strip being wound on the, rolls and extending therebetween, indicating means movable with the paper strip between the rolls, means for disassoc'iating the paper strip and the indicating means as the carriage is raised, and means for moving the paper strip while disassociated from the indicating means.

5. In a listing machine, a casing, a carriage, means for raising and lowering the carriage in the casing, a pair of rolls for supporting a paper strip manually rotatable in the car riage, the paper strip being wound on the rolls and extending therebetween, means for advancing the paper strip as the carriage is lowered, means for causing the indicating means to move with the paper strip and means for operatively engaging said last named means with the indicating means as the carriage reaches its lowermost point.

6. In a listing machine, a casing, a carriage, means for raising and lowering the carriage in the casing, a pair of rolls for supporting a paper strip rotatably mounted in the carriage, the paper strip being wound on the rolls and extending therebetween, an indicating means, means for causing the indicating means to move with the paper strip, means for disengaging the said last named means from the indicating means as the carriage is raised, and means automatically operated by lowering of the carriage for advancing the paper strip.

7. In a listing machine, a casing, a carriage, 'means for raising and lowering the carriage in the casing, a pair of rolls for supporting a paper strip manually rotatable in the carriage, the paper strip being wound on the rolls and extending therebetween, means for advancing the paper strip by movement of the carriage in one direction, indicating means, means for causing the indicating means to move with the paper strip, and means for disassociating said last named means from the indicating means during movement ofthe carriage.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification.

CHARLES B. EDWARDS. 

